UnionHerald crime briefs for edition of July 4, 2014

A 31-year-old Ham Lake man was convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault and child endangerment, a gross misdemeanor, in Anoka County District Court June 16.

Jonathan Samuel Lillo was initially charged with felony domestic assault March 18 after he allegedly assaulted the mother of his infant daughter when she attempted to leave his residence. He allegedly kneed her in the thigh.

The domestic assault charge was downgraded to a misdemeanor, but an additional charge was brought because Lillo’s small child had access to a gun in his home.

Lillo pleaded guilty to both charges.

Judge Kristin Larson stayed 425 days in jail and sentenced Lillo to two years of probation with the following conditions: He must go through a chemical dependency evaluation and, if necessary, treatment, as well as domestic abuse counseling and treatment. He needs to take a parenting class, submit to random testing and stay away from alcohol, drugs and guns.

Additionally, for each crime, he was sentenced to 15 days in jail with credit for three days served.

Lillo owes $135 in fees.

~ Olivia Koester

Anoka man charged with felony assault, vehicle theft

An Anoka man is being accused in Anoka County District Court of threatening his father with a knife before stealing his car after allegedly shoplifting from a Coon Rapids Wal-Mart.

Thomas James Sutherland, 52, was arraigned June 10 on two felony charges of vehicle theft and second-degree assault.

According to the criminal complaint, Sutherland was with his 84-year-old father the afternoon of June 7 when he asked his father to bring him to Wal-Mart so he could pick up a pair of pants. His father parked and waited. About 10 minutes later, Sutherland came back to the car, threw some packages in the back and said, “let’s go, let’s go.”

The father allegedly saw a man running alongside the car as they were leaving Wal-Mart’s parking lot. He suspected the items may have been stolen. When he refused to go any further, Sutherland allegedly pulled out a knife and threatened him.

At that point, the Wal-Mart loss prevention employee who had been chasing them caught up and jumped in front of the vehicle, according to the complaint. He later told police that he saw a man threaten another man with a knife and push him out of the vehicle.

Authorities were called to the scene 3:57 p.m. June 7.

~ Eric Hagen

Stabbing at Ramsey skateboard park leads to charges

An 18-year-old Blaine man is being accused in Anoka County District Court of stabbing another teen in the back with a knife at a Ramsey skateboard park.

Austyn James Kessler was arraigned June 11 on felony charges of second-degree assault and terroristic threats.

According to the complaint, Ramsey police was dispatched 7:20 p.m. June 20 to the Alpine Skate Park in the 6600 block of Alpine Drive NW on a stabbing report.

An 18-year-old male told police that he was skateboarding at the park when two guys walked by and called him “a pussy.” When he approached them, one of them allegedly stabbed him with a pocket knife and claimed to be the head of a Brooklyn Park gang.

Ramsey police reported seeing a one-inch gash on the right side of the victim’s back.

According to the complaint, a family member called Ramsey police later to ask about the crime and brought Kessler in and turned over the knife that authorities suspect was used in the attack.